Justification:
This species has a relatively wide distribution in the western Atlantic. It is moderately large, not commonly marketed for food but frequently seen in the aquarium trade. This is a deeper water species and so the juvenilles are mostly captured for the aquarium trade. There are no major threats. It is listed as Least Concern. It is recommended that the export trade is monitored.

This species occurs in the Western Atlantic from the Bermuda and offshore reefs east of the Carolinas to Honduras and northern South America, including the Antilles. It also extends down through the entire Brazillian coast from south of the Amazon to Santa Catarina including Atol das Rocas and Fernando de Noronha. It is also found in São Tomé Island in the Gulf of Guinea (Wirtz et al. 2007)

A moderately large species, to about 270 mm SL. It is associated with rock and coral cover in depths of 18-110 m, but rarely at depths greater than 24 m (Lieske and Myers 1994). It feeds on crabs and small shellfish (Gomon 1978). Juveniles pick parasites from other fishes (Lieske and Myers 1994).

It may hybridize with the Spanish hogfish, B. rufus (Sazima and Gasparini 1999).

This species is occasionally marketed fresh. Aquarium trade export data for Brazil for 2007 recorded 3,531 individuals (Offical statistics from IBAMA). It is frequently seen in the aquarium trade (Westneat 2002).

Sazima, I. and Gasparini, J. L. 1999. A presumed hybrid of the hogfishes Bodianus pulchellus and Bodianus rufus in the western South Atlantic (Perciformes: Labridae). Aqua International Journal of Ichthyology 3(3): 89-92.